A chance
by Rakumei
Summary: Rating may change!,Mulan is currently living in her village,until Shang comes and says that the Emperor wants to see her...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: its chapter one of the story-revised!**

**Disclaimer: 'Mulan' is the property of Disney, plot is mine!**

**Mushu:** oh, how thrilling…

**Shut it, Mushu!**

**Mushu: (mock salutes)** Shutting up, ma'am!

**To the the batmo…I mean, to the story! (Heh, heh)**

**A chance**

**Chapter 1**

Everything was quite, and the household in a little village in China was quite, all its occupants sleeping soundly.

A little serpentine creature crept through the house, opened a certain door to a certain room, and jumped on the bed, where a certain someone was sleeping.

"Wake up, Sleeping' Beauty!" he cried aloud.

Well, it was quite loud, but the person in the bed just slapped the creature to the floor and turn around, still asleep.

"Ow!" he rubbed his sore behind, "OK, time for the heavy artillery!" he smirked, and catching the end of the blanked in both hands, he pulled it off.

The girl shivered, wondering where her source of heat had gone to, finally sat up, and stretched.

"Mushu?" she asked sleepily, one hand rubbing her eye from sleep.

"Good morning, Mulan!" the tiny red dragon, Mushu, jumped in front of her on the bed, followed by his trusty companion, the cricket, a.k.a Cri-Kee.

"You finally woke up on time!" Mushu exclaimed.

"On time?" Mulan looked outside her window, then back at her dragon guardian, "Mushu, it's barely even morning!" she scoffed.

"So? All the more reason to see the sunrise!" was Mushu's logic in action.

"All right, I'm up." Mulan said, and got off her bed and strated to get dressed (in which, of course, Mushu covered his eyes his ears until she finished dressing) and brushed her still shoulder-length black hair until it was shiny.

(A/N: she wears the outfit she wore at the beginning of the movie.)

"Done." Mulan said, and Mushu went to his usual place on Mulan's shirt collar.

--

She walked to the kitchen and greeted by a wonderful smell.

From the outside, she heard the crying of the rooster, it was morning, at last.

A tiny woman came to Mulan, grey-haired and wrinkled but the winkle in her eyes was never diminished.

"Good morning, Grandma," Mulan greeted, she knew her grandmother always rises early.

"Good morning, Mulan," Grandma Fa greeted back, "how did you wake up so early?" she wondered.

"Oh, I can wake up early if I want to." Mulan smiled, a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah, with a little help." Mushu muttered behind her neck and she shut him up with her hand, to her grandma it seems like she was rubbing her neck.

"Well, what's for breakfast?" Mulan quickly changed the topic.

After a while, her parents, who also woke up, came to the room, and all ate in silent.

"Mulan?" Mulan's mother, Fa Li, said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"After you do the chores, could you go to the marketplace?" Li asked her daughter.

"Sure, Mama."

--

After feeding her horse, Khan ("Cow" Mushu muttered, who got out of hiding in Mulan's shirt collar, a mistake, because a couple of minutes later, he got trampled by the 'Cow'), feeding the chickens (with the 'help' of her dog, Little Brother), and doing all the other chores, she was ready to go to the marketplace.

But before she went through the gate, with Cri-Kee and Mushu getting a ride in her basket, her grandmother called out after her,

"If you see Captain Li, invite him over!"

It was lucky Grandma Fa couldn't see her anymore, because Mulan was blushing like a second sun.

--

"OK, let's see what we need to buy." Mushu said to Cri-Kee, who was writing (on a leaf) the shopping list Mushu dictated.

Mulan just smiled at looking at her (little) friends actions.

She looked at the village, and as she passed, she heard whispers all around her.

She had gotten used to it since she returned from the Emperor's palace.

People were biased in their opinion about Mulan.

Some approved of the woman warrior and said that if weren't for her, China would have been doomed, and their children would always be near Mulan, she loved kids, and these ones looked up to her as their 'role model'.

On the other hand, there were those who disapproved, saying that it isn't a woman's job to fight, of this sort of things, Mulan learned to ignore.

--

After buying all the things Mulan's mother and grandmother told her to get, she was heading home.

"We're done with the shopping." Mushu said, lying in the now cramped basket while Cri-Kee lay on the bread using the leaf he wrote on as a blanket.

"Hello, Fa." She looked up to see the village noble's daughter, Ming.

She was wearing a very stylish robes and makeup, she was to Mulan's point of view, the perfect porcelain doll, which'll make parents proud and men's hearts beat faster.

"Hello, Tao," Mulan said coldly, they were always formal cold when they encountered each other.

"I see your hair is still short." Tao said with obvious contempt, looking up and down at Mulan,"and that you still have a bad taste at clothes."

"I see you're still a stuck up little princess," Mulan muttered under her breath.

Tao narrowed her eyes," what was that?"

"I said it's good to see you again." Mulan faked a smile.

Tao was still with narrow eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, looking over Mulan's shoulder.

"Hello, Mulan." A familiar deep voice said.

Mulan turned around to see the handsome features of-

"Shang!" she cried in surprise.

There was a cough behind her and Mulan rolled her eyes, forced to making the introduction.

"Shang, this is Tao Ming, Tao this former commanding officer, Captain Li Shang."

Tao took out a fan from her sash and behind it said, "Nice to meet you, Captain."

"Ming!" Tao's mother called out to her daughter and she said her goodbyes to the pair, especially Shang.

Mulan looked after the 'delicate flower' girl with disgust before hearing Shang,"Nice girl, but way too delicate for my taste."

She looked at him and he smiled, she smiled back, knowing that Shang wasn't like other men of the village that'llbe with a stupid grin on their faces at Tao's act.

To change the subject Mulan asked, "What are you doing here, Shang?"

He smiled, "I here by the Emperor's orders," he answered.

_Figures…_, Mulan thought, but she didn't show her disappointment, she just asked, "Would like to have dinner at my house?"

"I'd love to." Shang said.

And both continued in the direction Mulan's house.

In the basket Mushu thought with a smirk, _something is going on with these two…_

Cri-Kee just slept.

--

**A/N: well, what do you thing of chapter 1- revised?**

**If I'll get reviews that say its fine, I might consider revising the whole chapters…**

**Mushu, anything you want to add?**

**Mushu:** Have chapter 11, already!

**OK, OK, I get your drift, in the meanwhile, review, please! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: its chapter 2 of the story-revised!**

**Disclaimer: 'Mulan' is the property of Disney, plot is mine!**

**Mushu:** another one…oh, boy…

**Yeah, yeah, we heard you the first time**

**Mushu: **Really, I didn't notice.

**(Sigh) To the story!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 2**

Mushu watched Mulan comb her hair in front of the mirror.

"So what's the deal?" he asked bluntly, noticing that now Mulan wore different clothes from before.

Mush and Cri-Kee has shifted their hideout from the basket to her shirt collar as soon as they arrived home, and in her room, they went out because it was finally safe to be out.

"What are talking about?" Mulan asked, putting down her comb.

"What's with the change of clothes, all of a sudden?" Mushu asked, being more specific.

"Well, between my chores and going to the marketplace, my clothes had the chance to get dirty, so I changed them." Mulan explained.

"You sure it's not because Captain pretty boy is here?" he asked her slyly.

"No, it's not." Mulan said in an indifferent tone, but the spots of color on her cheeks betrayed her.

"Ah-ha, _riiight_…" Mushu smirked, crossing his arms.

"Mulan?" the voice of her mother came from the living room.

"Coming!" she said and went out of the room, leaving a snickering dragon behind.

--

She sat near the table while muttering, "Sorry to keep you waiting." And looking up, she had to subdue a growing urge to roll her eyes.

The sitting order was that that she sat right in front of Shang.

_Talk about being subtle…,_ she though wryly.

"So Shang, why did the Emperor send you?" Mulan asked quickly before any of the elders start saying something embarrassing.

"The Emperor wishes to see both of us, so he send me to fetch for you, he said it was very important that he'll speak to us both." Shang explained.

"So we're going to the Imperial City?" Mulan inquired.

"Yes, and the sooner we leave the better." Shang said.

"How about we'll go first thing tomorrow morning?" Mulan asked.

"Sounds good to me." Shang agreed.

The elders looked at them, amused.

"Captain Li." Grandma Fa said.

"Yes?" he averted his gaze from Mulan to her grandmother.

Suddenly Mulan had a foreboding feeling, she just knew her grandmother is going to embarrass her and Shang as well.

"Do you have any _girlfriend_ in your life?" Grandma asked with a sly twinkle in her eyes.

"Grandma!" Mulan cried.

"What? I was only asking." Grandma said calmly.

"No, I don't," Shang answered but he glanced at Mulan,"at the moment."

And Mulan could swear she could see little spots of color on his cheeks.

**-Night-**

"Going to the Imperial City?" Mushu asked, after Mulan told him everything.

"Yes." Mulan answered, who was sitting on the bed.

"We're going too!" the tiny dragon exclaimed in a happy tone.

"'We'?" Mulan asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, Cri-Kee and me," Mushu answred,"after all, I am your dragon guardian and it's my duty to protect you." He said importantly.

"And besides, you'll need lucky bug here to bring, well, luck!" and with that said, the cricket puffed his little chest.

Mulan raised her eyebrow, "And also so you could spy on me, right?" she asked, knowing that was their true intention.

"Yea…" but then he understood what she asked and quickly said, "No!"

"Ah-ha, riiight…" Mulan mimicked what Mushu said earlier.

"Good night, Mushu, Cri-kee." She greeted before lying in bed and fell asleep instantly.

"G'night, Sleepin' Beauty." Mushu said and Cri-kee chirped.

--

**A/N: Done with chapter 2!**

**Mushu: (with not much enthusiasm)** Yay…

**Ignore him, and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: chapter 3!

(Juggling 3 stories isn't easy...)

Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot is mine!

**Mushu**: I'm free!

**See? I told you I'll free you next update, now behave or it's the cloth again!**

**Mushu:** ok! I'll be nice, happy?

**Yes**

**Mushu**: It was rhetorical

**I know, anyway,**

**Here's the story, enjoy!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 3**

This time Mulan didn't need the help of an alarm cloak in the form of a certain dragon and cricket, in fact, she woke up early herself, which stunned Mushu and Cri-Ki to no end.

"Why are you wearing that?" asked Mushu, removing his ears from his eyes, after Mulan told him it was fine to look.

She now wore her green training outfit (A/N: the one from the movie), but her her hair was loose.

"Well," she said while packing her stuff, "I figured it would be dangerous if I go dressed like woman, because they say that a woman traveling is in for some risks, so if I go dressed as a man, it'll be fine."

"Ah-huh and you're not doing this because it's more comfortable?" said Mushu while crossing his arms.

"Fine, that too." Admitted Mulan.

After eating breakfast with her family plus Shang (he slept in the spare, which was conviently, against Mulan's), she went to fetch Khan, the family's big black horse.

Mushu and Cri-Ki transferred from Mulan's shirt collar to one of her saddlebags, and Mulan knew why that particular saddlebag.

"Don't eat up all the food supply, all right?" said Mulan while tying her father armor to the saddle, ("If I want to disguise myself, I better take this too." Was Mulan explanation, all Mushu said was "Riiiiight...")

"Don't worry, we won't!" cried Mushu, popping up from the saddlebag.

"Mushu, keep your voice down!" hissed Mulan, shutting his mouth with her hand.

"Did you say something?" asked Shang, coming with his white horse.

Mulan smiled towards him, "Not a thing." She lied through her teeth.

"oh." was He said and got up on the horse.

Mulan finished saddling up and got up on Khan as well.

"Goodbye, Mama, Baba, grandma!" she said, waving at them.

And her grandma, while waving said, "Good luck!" and nodded in Shang's direction.

"Grandma!"

But her grandma just snickered playfully.

Her parents just waved back, smiling, knowing that this time their Mulan will be all right.

Mulan and Shang rode through the gate and on road to the Imperial City.

They stopped to eat in some kind of valley, and while Mulan was busy opening the saddlebag which held the food, Shang looked at her with a little smile.

Now that he knew that Mulan was a girl, how could he have been so blind to the fact that "Ping" was different from the other men in the Camp.

When both sat down to eat, Mulan could feel a light breeze on the nape on her neck, she smiled while eating, her shirt collar has become her little friend blanket, (after opening the saddlebag, she discovered both drowsy, but with full stomachs.)

"Shang, did the Emperor tell you what is that he wanted to talk to us about?" asked Mulan, trying to start a conversation.

"No, he just said it's very important that both of us need to hear." Explained Shang

After taking another two breaks along the way, when the sun came down, the two riders halted their horses.

"I can see the lights of the imperial city from here!" exclaimed Mulan, pointing forward.

"Yes, we're close." Agreed Shang.

"Well, then I better get ready." Said Mulan mysteriously as she got down from Khan, and untied her armor suit.

"Ready?" asked Shang with curiosity.

"You'll see." She says and went behind a big tree alongside the road.

After awhile, he heard Mulan say "Done!' and turned to look.

And there she stood, dressed in her armor, (her father decided to hand it to her saying he's too old for those kinds of things...), her hair tied up in a green ribbon.

"Why did you put on the armor?" asked a very curious Shang.

She smiled,"Well, I just want to make the perfect affect."

"What affect?"

She smiled even more broadly then before and just said again, "You'll see."

Both amounted their horses once again.

Sure that Mulan in engrossed in riding, Shang looked her up and down, it really taken him back in time 6 months ago, when he first met "Ping".

Everyone who'll look at her, will see a short young man, a very pretty young man, but Shang saw now, knowing the one beside him was a girl, he thought that on closer inspection, 'he' will turn out to be a 'she', and only a fool (including himself, he smacked himself mentally) will not see it.

When they passed through the city gates, Mulan just said to the sentries guarding the gates, "Good evening"

The men looked bewildered and Shang could hear, "What a strange young fellow."

And Mulan leaned closer to Shang and whispered, "THAT affect." She giggled, and even Shang smiled (Shang dictionary: smile means laughing quietly(very quietly...))

And so both arrived safely in front of the Emperor's palace...

**A/N: Continued on chapter 4!**

**You do the honors, Mushu!**

**Mushu**: ok! Please review! So this so-called writer continues writing about the awesome me! Why are you smiling like that?

**Big mistake, my dear Mushu, to be naming me 'so-called writer'**

**Mushu:** You wouldn't!

**Oh, yes I would!**

**Mushu (teleported to piece together the great stone dragon)**

**Well, seeing that Mushu will be busy for a while, I'll just say what he said before, please review!**

**Mushu (working):** Why meee?!!!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: **chapter 4! And a big thanks to all who reviewed!**

**(Sorry for being late...)**

**Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot is mine!**

**Mushu**: I'm back....

**So? how did it go?**

**Mushu:** stone dragon is fixed....if you'll excuse me...I'm gonna lie down....

**OK, good job! Are you all right?**

**Mushu:** I'll be fine, I'm gonna rest....** (Vanishes to the shrine)**

**Sadly, Mushu'll be out of shape for sometime (meaning, he won't be calling me names...) and so on to the story!**

(A/N: these little things in the begging or end of chapter has nothing to do with the stories, it just my little imagination...)

**A chance**

**Chapter 4**

Both had their horses taken when they arrived at the palace.

A servant came and directed Shang to the men's bathhouse to clean up because the emperor wanted them to attend dinner.

A woman servant came and stated to say, "Follow me, Miss Fa," but Mulan stopped her and just said, "Don't worry, I'll manage."

The servant just gave Mulan the directions and set off.

When she got there, she hearts chatter, laughing and such, and she entered the women's bathhouse.

All who were talking stopped and glanced at her.

She just smiled and politely said, "Good evening."

But now she remembered she was dressed as a soldier, a MAN soldier, and a man was what those women saw.

Suddenly all screamed and grabbed their robed and all but fled from the bathhouse; they screaming "Man!" vanished in the background.

"Well, I guess I should've expected that." She said to herself as she untied her hair. (Mushu and Cri-Ki decided to be in the saddlebag that contained food, "Don't worry, we'll be back later" reassured her Mushu, as the horses were taken away.)

"Yes, you should have." Said a voice behind her and Mulan turned around, surprise showing on her face.

The speaker was a girl, probably around Mulan's age, who was sitting in the huge bathtub, her long black hair floating the water and her black eyes twinkled as she smiled at Mulan.

Mulan smiled back, "You weren't fooled." She said as she discarded her armor and her clothes and got to the tub.

"Of course I wasn't fooled! Anyone could see you're not really a man." She explained and Mulan started liking that girl.

"I'm Fa Mulan." She introduced herself.

"And I'm Chun Shui." Said the girl," but everybody calls me just Chun."

(A/N: pronounced choon shooie)

"Nice name." said Mulan in earnest.

"Thank you, your name is nice too, Mulan." Chun returned the compliment.

After that they talked, while bathing, Mulan loved the bath, especially after riding all day long on a horse saddle.

And it was discovered that Chun was, indeed, the Emperor's great niece, "But since I lived near the subjects all my life, I don't look down like some nobles do." she said cheerfully.

_Well, that explains why she isn't behaveving so royally towards me_, Mulan thought and smiled.

When both finished Bathing, and cleaning themselves, servants came and took their discarded cloths, promising the worried Mulan that the clothes will return clean, and handed them beautiful robes to wear.

Shang talked to some of the noblemen in the grand dining room when Mulan arrived, talking to another girl in green robes.

"Shang!" she called over to him and he came to them, eyeing her in her bright blue robes, he thought she looked beautiful, with her shoulder-length hair shining like mahogany.

"You...look...n-nice." He managed to finally stutter and she smiled her lovely smile at him, her rosy cheeks becoming even rosier.

"Thank you, you look handsome yourself," she said,_ you always look handsome,_ she thought and that made even grin wider.

"Shang, this is Lady Chun Shui," she presented the girl by her side, "Chun this is my former commanding officer, Captain Li Shang," she told Chun.

"I have a question for you, Captain." Said Chun.

"What is it?" Shang asked politely.

"How could you possibly have believed that Mulan was a _man_?" she asked, her eyes twinkling in mischief.

That certainly wasn't something he expected and "Uh..." was his intelligent answer.

Chun just rolled her eyes and said to Mulan,"Men!" and both burst into a fit of giggles, and went to where they both sat (Chun insisted that Mulan would sit by her side).

By the time the Emperor arrived, everything has been quieted down.

"It's good to see you again, Li Shang and Fa Mulan." He said and continued, "I assume you are hungry from your travel, so eat and I'll talk to you later on." He ended mysteriously.

They ate and drank and in the end of that magnificent feast the Emperor wanted to talk to Mulan and Shang in private.

"What did you wish to about, your Excellency?" asked Mulan.

"About this, Shan-Yu has been defeated and the Huns were driven back, but not all of were."

The pair started to have a bad feeling about this.

"A new leader has risen among the Hun army, this time it's Shin-Yu, his niece."

"Niece?!" both simultaneously asked.

"Yes, and I'm afraid we will go to another war, that is why I summoned you, a Mulan,I want to train under the command of General Li to become a commanding officer."

Mulan has listed to all that but then she turned with wide eyes to Shang,"_General_ Li?' she asked.

Shang smiled a shy smile, "I got promoted." He modestly said.

"Your excellancy, you're letting me, a woman, train in the the army?" Mulan carefully asked.

"I see no reason why not, after all, you, a woman, saved China." The Emperor smiled at Mulan in a grandfatherly way.

Mulan smiled, "Thank you!" she cried and hugged him as she did once before and he was reminded greatly of his Great niece.

Speaking of which,"Mulan, have you talked to Chun Shui?" he asked as all three got up from their seats.

"Yes, we have a lot in common, we became friends right away." Mulan answered and smiled.

The Emperor just smiled back.

The bedroom which usually occupied only Chun, now occupied by two cheerful girls, talking while sitting on their beds.

"So you're going to train in the army again?" asked Chun.

"Yes." Answered Mulan, and a reply came from behind her shirt collar, "Don't think you're going alone, girl!"

"What was that?" asked a confused Chun, trying to figure out who just talked.

Mulan sighed, Mushu and Cri-Ki had come back from their own 'dinner' at the food supply saddlebag, and now the dragon chose the time to wake up.

"Mushu!" she hissed too late, she looked over to the other girl and sight again, and she reached behind her neck and got Mushu out and put him in front of her.

"Chun, this is Mushu, the guardian from my ancestors." she introduced him.

Chun looked closer, "Your ancestors sent a little lizard lo help you?" she asked what Mulan asked the first time she encountered the little dragon.

"Why do people keep saying that?" Mushu asked rhetorically and looked at the other girl, "I'm a dragon, dragon! I don't do the tongue thing."

"Tiny, aren't you?" she poked him, and he got irritated.

"I'm travel-size! Ok?!" he snapped and Chun smiled at Mulan.

"He's cute!"

"I suppose." Was Mulan's response, "Let's go to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow," she said and when all settled down,"Mushu, next time warn me when you decide to wake up." She told the little dragon who took some of Mulan's robes to be his blankets for tonight, (Cri-Ki decided to spend the night in the imperial gardens, Mushu told Mulan that "lucky bug'll come back tomorrow morning.")

All were quite in the Imperial City.

**A/N: to be continued on chapter 5!**

**Mushu :**(** from somewhere)** ....urge...to...kill...a certain author...rising...

**Be quite, Mushu.**

**Anyway, please review!**

**Chun Shui in Chinese is 'spring water'; just Chun is 'spring'.**

**Shin-Yu is just my variation of the name 'Shan-Yu',(I tried for it to sound more feminine)**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: **chapter 5! **

(Sorry for being late...)

Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot is all mine!

**Mushu**: hey....

**So how is our dragon today? Feeling better?**

**Mushu:** you send on another mission like this and I swear you'll pay!

**So says the dragon that shall do as _I_ say because it's _my_ story.**

**Mushu:** just wait...just you wait.

**To the story!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 5**

"Going already?" asked Chun in a sad tone, while watching Mulan get dressed, with the help of the light streaming from the window, it was early morning.

"Yes, Shang wants us to be at the camp by sunset." Said Mulan and put her armor atop her training outfit, tying all into place.

"Too bad, I hoped you'll stay a while longer." Said Chun and smiled at the tiny cricket on her hand.

As Mushu said the night before, Cri-Ki indeed returned when both Mulan and Chun woke up.

Most women would scream and get as far away from a cricket who would not be in a cage, but Mulan hated seeing Cri-Ki in a cage,and luckily, the cricket being free didn't phase Chun.(she actually thought he was rather cute.)

"I hoped so too, but the training can't be put on hold, you know." Said Mulan, tiying her hair up with a green ribbon, and did a final check up to see all was in place.

"Let's go."

---------------------

They got the horses from the stables and mounted on them, Shang and Mulan, that is.

Chun and Mulan said their goodbyes while Shang waited patiently by the gate.

"...and don't worry," said Chun, quietly, making Mulan lean closer to listen, "I won't tell anyone on your 'travel-sized' friend."

Mulan said "thank you." And put a hand behind her neck to shush up Mushu who started saying, pretty loudly, "I heard that...!"

Chun and Mulan smiled at each other and Mulan said, "Guess I'll be seeing you sometime soon."

"More soon than you think." Says Chun mysteriously.

They said their final goodbyes and Shang and Mushu rode from the palace.

----------------------------------

When they got to Camp, Shan got down from his horse and strode to a big tent that was there, a soldier cam and took his stallion away.

Mulan got down as well, and began checking her saddlebags when somebody called out a name she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Ping!" came a three-voiced cry.

Mulan turned around and smiled at the three men coming towards her, all in training outfits.

One was tall and skinny, the other was short and stout and the third was three times as wide.

"Hi Mulan!" said the skinny one.

"Hello Ling." She said.

"Ping, my buddy!" said the short one.

"Hello Yao." Mulan said, he knew her true name, he was just teasing her.

"Good to see you, Mulan." Said quietly the wide one.

"Good to see you too, Chien-Po." She said and smiled at the trio.

"So you're training too?" she asked, which was pretty obvious.

"Yeah, we'll be captains in no time!" said enthusiastically Ling.

"How have you been doing?' she asked as she led Khan to a spot of ground that looked good to build a tent on.

While she was unpacking the materials for the tent, they informed her on what happened in their life, until now.

"I continued to train, 'coz you know I have to stay in shape." Said Yao as they helped her with the tent.

"He means training as in beating up any second man around." Ling said to Mulan in a loud whisper.

"I just wrote on what we've been through, it's still not finished, but I think it's good." Said Chien-Po in his quiet way.

"I love to read it." Said Mulan as they got up the tent, which was a much better one than the one she had when she was in the army in the first time.

"I think I got a girlfriend, but she says she like men with more flesh on them, do you it's a rejection?" he asked Mulan, uncertainly.

"Yes, Ling, most certainly a rejection." She patted his shoulder.

After the tent was up and Mulan put down her armor and belongings in the tent, all four went to get dinner.

"So how's thing with you and General pretty-boy?" asked Yao nonchalantly.

"Things are good, we're very good friends." Answered Mulan,_ only I which we were more than friends...,_ she added mentally.

They continued to chat cheerfully, catching on on what the other was doing after the army until now.

The gang, (as Mulan, with affection, nicknamed them), treated Mulan like she was one of them with no exception, they even prided themselves on having a friend who was from the opposite sex.

"With you we can uncover every secret that women have!" declared Ling and was crushed when Mulan told him, "What secret?"

As she went back to the tent she saw Shang leaving his tent and with a smile she wished him good night, he just smiled and wished back and was with a serious face once more.

_Probably the training that starts tommarrow,_ Mulan thought sleepily as she entered the tent and went to sleep.

Mushu and Cri-Ki made blankets out of her socks to sleep in.

**A/N: chapter 5 is done!**

**Any comments, Mushu?**

**Mushu:** next chapter, bigger part!

**OK, deal!**

**And please...**

**Mushu:** ...review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: **chapter 6! **

(Sorry ,late _again_...)

**Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot mine!**

**Mushu**: A bigger part!

**OK, OK, on to the story!**

**(And yes, Chien-Po was talk about a book he were he wrote the entire Mulan story.)**

**A chance**

**Chapter 6**

**Somewhere**

She was sharpening her sword, over and over to make it the sharpest there was.

Her army was a waiting for every command she'll utter.

Suddenly two big men came, dragging something, "Look what we found, Commander." And tossed what revealed to be two men on the ground before her.

Both were wearing the Emperor of China's army uniforms.

She continued to sharpen her sword, "So now it's spies, is it?" she finally said, looking down at them.

"You'll never succeed! The Emperor's army will finish you!" said one of them, looking insolently at her.

She stands up and left the sword on the stone, and she neared them.

"In case you haven't noticed, _Spy_, you're now in the Hun army." She said, smirking.

That produced some chuckles from the Hun men around her.

She suddenly gripped the throat of the spy, and looked at the other spy as well as she said,"Go, tell your _Emperor_ about my army, and about me as well, tell him I will avenge my uncle's death! Remember my name, Shin-Yu, youre future conqueror!" and she tossed the spy on the ground.

The other spy went running as his feet as fast as he could, the second one started rising when Shin-Yu grabbed her sword from the stone, as she looked at him, she smiled?"

"And were do you think you're going, insolent spy?" she said in a dangerous tone.

He gulped.

---------------------

**Back at Camp**

Mulan woke up early, thanks to Mushu, had eaten the porridge he gave her and dressed up in her training outfit.

She tied up her hair,"Well, I'm going." She said to Mushu, Cri-Ki and Khan, and went out of the tent and started jogging.

Mushu got teary-eyed as he looked at Mulan running, "My baby is going to kick some butt." He said in a fatherly pride.

Cri-Ki patted his friend's shoulder.

---------------------------

"Good morning, guys!" she called as she came near them, there were, in total, 20 men, besides the gang and herself, and all stood in a straight line.

"Good morning, Mulan!" they simultaneously called as Mulan took her place between Yao and Ling (Chien-Po stood besides Yao).

They talked for a few minutes when Mulan became aware of something,

"Where's Shang? I think training should've began by now."

She glanced left and right but no sign of him yet.

"General pretty-boy is..." Said Yao,"...well, he's in a bad mood."

"Why?" asked Mulan curiously.

"Because we got a supervisor, that's why." Answered Ling.

"Supervisor? Again?" asked Mulan, why Shang would be in a bad mood because of supervisor.

"Yes, again," said Chien-Po,"and he's someone we know".

"More like hate." Muttered Yao.

"Really?" all three nodded, then that mean that the supervisor is...

"Well, what a surprise to meet _you_ here," came a voice that interrupted the conversation, a voice that Mulan hated, "Fa Mulan."

She looked up to meet that hateful face of Chi-Fu, the emperor's (once) secretary.

"Well, what a surprise to meet _you_ here," she repeated in a tone that said distaste, "How much you had to _grovel_ before His Excellency put you back to work?" she smirked and she heard the gang chuckle.

"You are in no position to ask questions, _Woman_," he said, in that annoying tone of his, "You will not finish as captain, I can tell you _that_."

Suddenly there was a hand on the man's shoulder that belonged to Shang was wearing his training outfit, his shirt still on him, Mulan saw.

Chi-Fu turned to regard him, "What it it, General?"

"I'd like to say that all will finish as captains, including _Mulan_," he emphasized her name, "I can tell _you_ that." He smirked at the shocked expression on the other man's face.

Finally, Chi-Fu regained his composure and held out his paper and sans he rote he said, "Day one..." and went to sit from where he can watch Shang and the men.

Shang shared a smile with Mulan and the gang a minute later he was back to his serious self, remembering his job.

"Soldiers!" he said, Mulan noticed with a smile that he refrained from saying the normal "Men!" which she was grateful of, "Today begging your training! In the end of this trading and the... _Supervisor_..." he said 'supervisor' in disgust, "will determine which of you is best suited to a commanding rank! The training beings now!" he concluded.

Mulan smiled,_ I do my best,_ she thought,_ and I will be captain!_

_----------------------------------------_

**Mushu (talking to Cri-Ki): so **than I said to her...** (Realizes that he's on**) what? finshed already?!

**Yeah, hi Cri-Ki**

**Cri-Ki: -**chirp chirp-

**Mushu:** Nice person?! She?!

**Watch it, Mushu.**

**Mushu:** hey! You promised a bigger part, right?

**Yes, in the chapter, but you didn't specify _which_ part of the chapter.**

**Mushu:** you just love torturing me, aren't you?

**'We're cruel to the ones we love' as the saying goes.**

**Mushu:** Riiiiiiiiiight....anyway, I need to talk to lucky bung here about something',** (to Cri-Ki)** let's go.

**Cri-Ki: -**chirp chirp-

**What did you say?**

**Mushu:** he said that it's a pleasure to work with you...

**Aww, Cri-Ki, you're so sweet!**

**Mushu:** let's go! **(Cri-Ki and Mushu vanish)**

**Well, I don't know what they're going to talk about, but anyway, please review!**

**(Yeah, I know it's short, I'll make it up next chapter, OK?)**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: **chapter 7! **

(I'm on a roll...)

Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot mine!

**Mushu**: a new chapter...yay...

**This time, you do have a part in the story, Mushu!**

**Mushu: **really?

**Yeah **

**Mushu:** good!

**On the the story!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 7**

And Mulan was true to her word, she did her best...at anything: fishing, archery, running, (A/N: spare me, I don't know what their training are like...), she did it all to the level of Excellency.

The gang, who probably took Mulan as a role model, did their best too and soon all men in camp as the 'Formidable Four'.

**-Two weeks later-**

"And where do you think you're goin'?" asked Mushu, seeing Mulan put a blue blanket on the horse.

"I'm going to bathe in the lake."Said Mulan, calmly doing all the arrangements,like a blue blanket, "What about..." Mushu started to asked, but Mulan cut him, knowing what he'll ask

"The men? Don't worry, everybody here knows I'm a woman, they'll respect my privacy." She answered logically.

"Except the pervs among them..." muttered Mushu, but Mulan heard him.

"Look, do you want to come and stand guard?" asked Mulan,who knew that was what Mushu really wanted to do, because Mushu would never ever let his 'precious baby' get hurt or something like that, according to _his_ logic.

"Yeah! But I ain't biting any more butts, you hear!" he warned and to Cri-Ki he said," Let's go, Lucky Bug."

--------------------

Shang was at his tent, writing a report, a true report (because Chi-Fu would never let on the good things on the soldiers...), and sat back, letting the ink dry.

_Hmmm..., maybe I'll go for a walk,_ He thought and got up and left his tent.

--------------------

He was in his training outfit, his shirt undone, and walked slowly around the camp, some men still about greeting him occasionally from where they were sitting by the fires.

As he got nearer to the lake, he saw a dark shape a got closer; it was a horse, a black one with a stripe of white on his face.

"You're Mulan's, aren't you?" he said and patted his nose, which Khan gladly accepted.

"Shang?" said a familiar voice, a _female_ voice, behind the bushes on Khan's side.

"Mulan?" said Shang, of course, if her horse is here; she's also bound to be near.

Mulan head popped up from behind the bushes, "Good evening." She smiled.

"Ah..., good evening." He returns the greeting.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she came out of the bushes, tying her shirt of her training outfit, holding her green ribbon at her hand.

"Just...just out for a walk." He said as Mulan draped the blue blanket (which had time to dry) on Khan's back.

"What were you doing here?" he asked than kicked himself mentally,_ stupid question, stupid!_

"I came here to bathe." Answered Mulan as she turned around Khan and the pair started walking.

She didn't mind that his shirt was undone because she already seen him like this when she was at the army in the first time.

Than Shang mentally envisioned Mulan at the lake. Naked.

And Luckily Mulan asked in time," Are you all right?" or else something pretty shameful would've happened.

"Fine!" he squeaked, than cleared his voice, "I mean, I'm fine."

They stopped and Shang looked to see that they stopped before Mulan's tent, Khan happily gnawing on some grass.

"Good night." She said and put a hand behind her neck to shut Up Mushu who start singing softly,"Mulan and Shan sittin' on a tree...!"

"Ah...good night." Said Shang with a smile.

They smiled at each other for a time and than Shang said, "I...I need to..." and walked off.

Mulan sighed and went in the tent.

"Humans!" exclaimed Mushu as Mulan went to sleep.

-Chirp chirp- chirped Cri-Ki next to him.

"I want them together too, but they're just so stubborn!" replied Mushu, and the dragon went to sleep besides Mulan so he could wake her up in the morning.

Cri-Ki did the same.

------------------

**A/N: end chapter 7!**

**Big enough part for you?**

**Mushu:** it's not bad.

**But...there's always a 'but' with you.**

**Mushu:** but next time a whole chapter about me!

**(Snap)**

**Mushu:** -chirp chirp-?

**Now you and Cri-Ki can be even better friend than before!**

**Mushu:** -chirp CHIRP-!

**Lucky for you, I can't understand what you say, Cri-Mushu, heh.**

**Well, don't worry, next update, you'll be normal again and to you, my readers, please review!**

**(and please,_please_, read my other stroies and leave a review, I'll be forever grateful! thanks!)**


	8. chapter 8

A/N: **chapter 8! **

(I hate being sick...)

Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot mine!

**As promised, Mushu will be returning to normal. (Snap)**

**Mushu**: -chirp- hey! **(Realizes that he is his old self)** I'm a dragon again!

**Good for you, and now to the story!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 8**

**A week later**

All lined up, waiting to hear who had passed to be a captain.

"All right," said Chi-Fu, who stood beside Shang, who was in his training outfit.

"Every one I'll call by name, step forward." And he started reading from a list of names.

When he finished, at least 14 men went forward.

"All that I have read so far," he smiled a not-so-friendly smile, "can go home."

"WHAT?!" was the 14 voiced reply.

"Do as he says." Said Shang, the picture of serenity.

All left with "Why?!" and "What I'm going to tell father?" and "NO!"

When those left, Chi-Fu continued saying, "All that were left," his smiled turned sour, "congratulations, you are now officially, captains of the Imperial Army." He didn't happy about delivering the good news, at all.

"We're..." started Mulan, a little shocked.

"Captains?" finished Ling, standing next to Mulan with Yao and Cien-Po to his left.

"Yes." Smiled Shang a little smile.

There was a silence for a couple of minutes and then...

"WE MADE IT!" the gang of three cried and Mulan smiled while the other two remaining men smiled quietly.

"Soldiers!" said Shang, taking over because Chi-Fu job for today was done, the gang stopped at once from shouting and stood in line.

"Starting next week, each of you will be sent to Camps around this area, you will be training the new recruits for three weeks, at the end of them, and there will be a test to determine if those you have trained are fitting for battle." Shang explained and than said to which Camp which captain is going.

"Dismissed!" he finally said and all (that is, the gang and Mulan) went to Shang while the other two went to their tent to get ready because their Camps are a little further away.

"Congratulations!" he said in his quite way.

"We did it! We did it!" said Ling over and over again.

"Well General pretty-boy," said Yao, with the nickname he came up for Shan, (which Shang disliked),"now we can order people around!"

"I'm just glad I've made it so I could continue writing my book." Chien-Po said modestly.

"Thank you," Mulan smiled at Shang, who colored slightly, "I'm very proud at myself and I'm sure my family is proud at me too."

"Hey, Yao, Chien-Po, come her for a minute." Said Ling who stopped singing "We did it!" and glanced at Mulan and Shang.

The gang went away to talk about something, leaving Shang and Mulan alone.

"So...when the new recruits are coming?" said Mulan, trying to break the silence that descended upon the pair as the gang went away.

"They're coming starting tomorrow until a day before the training begins." Answered Shang, who was a little uncoftrable,"I'll be staying in the area," he continue As Mulan looked him, "to check up on how the training is goes and stuff." He finished lamely.

"Oh, all right," said Mulan and than said, "I-I need to go, the gang, you know, celebrating..." and jogged to meet up with them.

"Mulan." He sighed and went to talk with Chi-Fu about some boring boring stuff, but he was the General and it was his duty...,_I wish my duty was Mulan...hey,where did that come from?_, he shook his head and went to the tent.

-----------------------

"Well, if it ain't **Captain** Fa Mulan!" said Mushu proudly as she entered her tent, after hours of celebrating, ready to go to a deep sleep, because she was tire, really tired.

"Hello, Mushu, Cri-Ki," she patted the cricket and dropped a kiss on the dragon's head.

"So did you celebrate with **your General**?" asked Mushu in a sly tone

"He's not **my General**!" Mulan blushed, although she was tired, "I celebrated with a big dinner I made together with the gang." She said.

Mushu pouted, "You know, if you don't wanna end up as an old maid, I suggest you do something about you and **your General!**" he sais,when there was lack of comment he turned around, because he didn't notice he was talking to the tent flap,"Mulan?".

She was fast asleep.

_Figures,_ he thought with a shrug and covered her, "Sweet dreams, Captain." He smiled and his cricket companion chirped his 'Good night' to the sleeping young woman.

-----------------

**A/N:** **and chapter 8 is done!**

**Mushu:** my baby is a Captain...I'm so proud of her...-sniff- you got a tissue?

**Here you go, Mushu.**

**Mushu:** thanks –blows nose-

**While Mushu is having his 'father' moments, please review!**

**10 reviews will make me do a long chapter...**

**(And again, please read and review my other stories, thank you!)**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: **chapter 9!**

**50 reviews! Thank you! **

(Long chapter, as promise!)

Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot- mine!

**Mushu, you're OK?**

**Mushu**: I'm fine! –sniff- now to the chapter!

**Well, you heard him!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 9**

**Three days later**

Mulan stood near the gate of the Camp, surveying the newcomer who was the new recruits as they passed through.

Of each of them she requested to see the Notice, and when it turned out that Mulan was going to be their commanding officer, their reaction varied from disbelief to downright insulting, but Mulan stood her ground and already the soldiers started to respect her.

A lanky fellow, lankier than Ling came through the gate, leading his brown gelding.

"Show me your Notice." She said in a commending she was still trying to master.

The man went wide-eyed and said, "Show it to you?" he asked uncertainly.

One the new recruits strolled by, they didn't have much to do since the training didn't begin for 4 more days, looked to see what's going on and said, "Show it to her," he said to the other man, "she's our **Captain**."

The newcomer mouthed 'o' and showed Mulan his Notice.

"Very well," said Mulan and handed him back the Notice, she pointed to somewhere at the Camp, "go and build up your tent, training will start in 4 days."

"Yes, Captain." He said and went on.

Mulan looked again through the gate and a new someone came.

He got down from his gray mare, and Mulan started noticing that this newcomer was a little strange.

For one thing, he's was shorter than most men at Camp, he was around Mulan's height.

And another thing, he was almost too pretty for a man.

"Show me your Notice." She said and he grinned and gave it to her, there was something familiar about that grin.

She inspected it, everything was fine, but at the bottom was something another hand had written:

_Hello Mulan,_

_I told you we'll see each other again!_

And it was signed by the symbols for 'spring' and 'water' in Chinese.

She went wide-eyed from the Notice and looked at the one standing before her, "_You!_"

------------------

**Evening**

Since their Camps were closer to Mulan's, the gang and Shang decided to have a fire in the conjuring point of all five Camps.

"Where's Mulan?" asked Chien-Po who was, as of lately, writing.

"Dunno, haven't seen her yet." Said Ling, warming by the fire.

Yao didn't say anything, because he was eating.

And Shang didn't say anything because...he was Shang, he didn't need many words.

Suddenly Mulan appeared besides a tree, coming from her Camp,"Hey, Guys!" she greeted.

"Hey, Mulan!" they greeted back, Shang just nodded.

"There's someone I want you to meet," she said to the tree she said, "Come on."

Behind the tree came what seems a young man in a training outfit, he looked abashed.

"Shang," Mulan said to him, "I believe you already know Chun."

"'Chun'?" he repeated, and then it struck him, he got up and bowed, "Lady Chun Shui." He said with the utmost respect.

"_'Lady?!_" exclaimed Ling, "you mean it's a _woman_?!"

"Yes," the newcomer beside Mulan finally spoke, "_it's_ a woman." And untied her, which fell to the shoulders.

She could've been Mulan's sister; the two were a little alike, although the other woman was a little shorter than Mulan and her eyes less wide.

"And please, General," she said, looking at Shang as he sat back down after his bow, "don't bow; I don't want any of you to treat me differently just because I'm a noble."

"Guys," Mulan told to the bewildered gang, who wre still wide-eyed, "May I present the Lady Chun Shui."

"You can just call me Chun." Smiled the girl.

"'Chun Shui'?" said Yao, who finished eating; "you're a relative of the Emperor, right?"

"Yes, I'm his great niece." Confirmed Chun.

Mulan rounded on her, "Why did come to the army?" this was the question she had been meaning to ask all day.

"I want to serve China, and just sit around doing something useless," Chun answered sincerely,"tha's why I came."

"The Emperor didn't object?" asked Chien-Po quietly.

"Of course he did, but I explained to him and he understands, so he approved." Answered Chun with a smile.

Through all that Shang had remained silent but finally he asked, "Why do you want Mulan to train you?"

"Because I think she is the best. I mean, she did save China," she looked at Mulan," and besides she's a friend." She smiled warmly.

Through the entire evening there have been questions, and Chun and Mulan talked between them what Ling had named 'Girl talk', and of course eating dinner.

True, the gang did try putting their moves on Chun, but she just smirked and said, "I'm going to be concentrating on my training from now on, so I won't have time for that sort of stuff." And she and Mulan giggled at the sour faces of the three men.

After that, all departed, and Mulan put out the fire, and looked up.

"Oh, Shang," she said and she spotted the man," what are you still doing here?"

"I need, I mean, uh..." he was stuttering in front of her, again, "I mean, can I walk you to your tent?" he finally asked, out of breath.

"Sure." Mulan smiled.

------------------

They stopped when they neared her tent.

"Here we are." Said Mulan awkwardly to break the silence.

"Yes." Said Shang, starting to feel uncomfortable.

"So..." said Mulan, fidgeting with a lock of her hair, which was loose.

"So..." said Shang, his hand twitching a little.

"Good night." Finally said Shang.

She stopped fidgeting, took a long breath, then tip-toed and kissed him on the cheek.

She pulled back and softly said, "Good night." Smiling she went to her tent.

Shang just stood there, a little shocked, and put a hand on the cheek Mulan kissed.

_She has soft and warm lips...were did THAT come from?!,_ he shook his head (he's been doing that a lot lately, he pondered) and went back to his Camp

---------------------

**A/N: this concludes chapter 9! So, long enough for you, people?**

**Mushu**: It was long, but why, why I wasn't in it?!

**You'll be next chapter, I promise!**

**Mushu:** Deal! And here is a little song that I can sing, since my baby isn't here...

Shang and Mulan sitting' on a tree... **(snap)** mmfff!

**Do me a favor and save that song for later chapters (snap)**

**Mushu:** me poor mouth...later chapters, you say? What, they're really gonna...?

**All in good time, my dear Mushu, all in good time (smirking slyly)**

**And please review and read my stories!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: chapter 10!**

**(Long chapter (sort of...), as promise!)**

**Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot- mine!**

**Mushu, What's up?**

**Mushu**: The sky.

**Oh, how original.**

**Mushu:** Let's just get on with it.

**Well, you heard him!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 10**

**The Imperial City**

"Your Excellency!" said the guard the came through the door, "Lady Chun Shui is missing!"

"Be at ease," smiled the Emperor, "she is safe and sound."

After the guard left, he returned to reading the note his great niece left behind:

_Great uncle,_

_I am going to army._

_Do not worry its perfectly safe; I think I'll be in training under the guide of Mulan._

_Wish me luck!_

_Love, Chun_

Then he read another note, which came two days later, on which was written:

_Your Excellency._

_Do not worry, Chun has arrived and completely safe, she'll be training under my guide._

_Respectfully,_

_Fa Mulan, Captain of the Imperial Army._

"No matter where you'll be, you two will always be safe." He told the notes in his hands, thinking that in the future there will be two woman captains instead of one.

He smiled as he glanced outside his window.

--

**The Camp**

All the new recruits lined up, making fun off Chi-Fu, who was as Shang decided to be the Supervisor of Mulan's Camp (Shang tried, but Chi-Fu insisted, he wanted to see how Mulan is "going to fit the title of Captain"); he just sat on a boulder and looked as though he had swallowed a lemon.

"Soldiers!" came a shout, and all looked up to see Mulan coming towards them and stopping, next to a barrel that held long sticks, she was in her training outfit and her hair loose.

"I'm Captain Fa Mulan," she declared, "and I'll be in charge of your training from now on!"

"Wait a minute," said one of the recruits, "'Fa Mulan'? As in the woman that saved China?"

"Yes." She answered, and smiled at the young man.

"_That's_ the famous Fa woman?" said another one, the distain in his voice clear, "I don't believe it."

She smiled a cool smile at the nonbeliever man, "You, what's your name?" she asked coolly.

"My name? It's Dong." He answered.

"Well, _Dong_, how about a little test?" her smile growing wider.

"Test?" he repeated, confused.

"Yes, if you defeat me, then I'm not the _'famous Fa woman'_, but if I'll win, you will shut up and accept me and not utter _one _word about me not being who I am, Deal?" she said calmly.

The boy smiled and winked to his friends, and nodded to her, "Deal!"

Mulan tied her hair up with her green ribbon and smiled.

**-Ten minutes later-**

"Ow…" said Dong, who was on the ground, beaten complete.

"Still don't believe I was the one who saved China?" asked rhetorically Mulan, looking down at him.

"No, Captain…" he mumbled.

She shook her head and helped him up, "You and you!" she pointed at a couple of young men at the row, "Take Dong to the Medic!" she ordered.

They complied quickly, taking the beatenboy from her.

She looked at the other soldiers, with Chun among them (Chun chose to reveal herself as a woman, but changed her name to Kin while being at Camp, "I don't want any special treatment, just because I'm a noble." She told Mulan)

"Lesson number 1," she informed them, "never _ever_ underestimates your opponent, even if it's a _girl_," she smirked, "look what happened to Shan-Yu because of _that_." There were chuckles from the recruits.

She went and took a bow that was near the barrel, and put an arrow in it.

All watched her curiously.

She aimed, and fired.

The arrow hit the top of a tall pole, in the middle of the Camp.

"All right," she said, turning to her subordinates, "exercise 1: retrieve the arrow!"

One of the recruits step forward, but before he was ready to climb up, Mulan shoued,"Stop!"

He looked at her, "What?" he asked.

"Fu, is it?" the man nodded, ",Fu, you forgot something." She motioned to Chi-Fu, who came and dropped a box at her feet, gave her a dark look, and went to sit back on the boulder.

She opened the box, and revealed two large gold circled, attached with a wide leather strings, she gave them to the bewildered young man.

"They're weights" he said, holding them.

"Yes, one represent strength and the other represents discipline," she said, memorizing what Shang said the first time she was at the army, "you need both to retrieve the arrow," and she added, "but, please use your head also." She smiled.

As it happened, none were able to retrieve the arrow, Kin (Chun) climbed half way, but…slipped.

After the last recruit tried to climb and fell, Mulan put back the weights in the box with, "let's try again tomorrow."

She went to the barrel holding the sticks and took one; she twirled it in hair hands with battle movements expertly, "let's train with these now." She told the recruits and threw to everyone the sticks (by the way, all caught them.)

And the training continued.

--

**A/N: end chapter 10!**

**Mushu, any comments?**

**Mushu: **Yeah, to the Dong guy,** (sings)** my baby kicked your butt! My baby kicked your butt!

**Well, while Mushu gloating please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** **chapter 11!**

**(Long chapter, as promise!)**

**Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot is mine!**

**Mushu, stopped gloating already?**

**Mushu**: Yeah, because I'll always know that my girl will kick anybody's butt!

**Mushu, are you her guardian or her father?**

**Mushu:** What's that suppose to mean?

**Nothing, on to the story!**

**A chance**

**Chapter 11**

**-Two weeks later-**

She tied the weights to her wrists and used them as leverage and started climbing the pole.

Mulan watched her as well as the other new recruits.

She climbed higher and higher until she…finally reached the top, plucked the arrow out of it and threw it to the ground, to land at Mulan's feet, and she sat up the pole, gasping for air but smiling.

"She did it! She retrieved the arrow!" Dong said in awe, he finally learned not to underestimate girls.

Mulan smiled proudly, "Well done, Kin!" she shouted to Chun.

From this point forward all the recruits, following Chun's example, wanted to do their best, and succeeded.

--

**-One week later-**

Two girls were walking down the path to where the paths to the other Camps meet.

"I think I'm still sore from training." Chun said, rubbing her arms.

"Don't worry, it will pass," Mulan comforted, "I remember how I was sore at my training." And smiled, remembering.

"So where are we going?" Chun asked.

"We're meeting my friends." Mulan answered.

"And Shang." Chun smirked.

"Shang is one of my friends." Mulan said, but spots of color on her cheeks betrayed her.

"He's your friend, all right," Mushu said, and Mulan's hand came behind her neck to shut him up.

"Mushu, why are you always taking rides on Mulan's shirt collar?" Chun asked curiously.

"Because," Mushu said, rubbing his (again) sore muzzle, "I need to watch over my baby!" he said in a protective-father way.

"And also to get a ride, isn't that right?" Mulan said to her guardian dragon.

"Ah…that too." He admitted.

Chun giggled.

"What's so funny?" asked a curious Mushu.

"Nothing, it's just that I can see that you and Mulan are really great friends!" said Chun,"I almost wish I had an animal guardian."

"Hmm…" Mushu rubbed his chin in thought, "you know, I think you probably have one, even if he/she not around now, what's your family's clan animal?" Mushu asked Chun.

"Our clan animal?" she repeated.

Chun smiled; "It's a dragon!" she beamed.

But the discussion was cut because the girls have arrived to the Commanders Junction, as Ling so named it, in a stroke of genius.

Mushu went back into hiding, and the girls approached the men who were sitting by the fire, as usual, Chien-Po was eating, Yao was bragging, and Ling was looking at the girls' direction.

"Good evening!" the gang greeted simultaneously (Yao had finished bragging, Chien-Po stopped eating for a bit)

"Good evening," Mulan amd Chun greeted back.

Ling got up quickly and went straight to Chun.

"My Lady," he bowed, "would you like to have a walk with me?" he asked, and smiled a hopeful smile

Chun smiled and said, "No thanks," and went to sit by Mulan's side.

Ling flopped back to the ground near Yao, who finished eating.

"Rejected again?" he asked rhetorically, "doesn't matter, it's the usual for you."

"Gee, thanks." Ling said bitterly.

"So, Mulan," Shang, who up until now was quite, said, "How are the training coming along?"

"Pretty good, the recruits are improving day by day." And then Mulan smiled at Chun, knowing, that she is the one of the best among the recruits.

And then, Mulan and the gang start their usual gossip/complaints/compliments about their recruits at each Camp, Shang just listed to them while looking at a map (to plan strategies).

"Mulan, who's the best recruit at your Camp?" Chien-Po asked.

"Well, one of them is Kin," Mulan answered.

The gang smiled, they all knew why Chun has chosen another name while at training.

"Ah, Kin, what a wonderful name." Ling sighed.

"Yeah, right," Mushu snickered back in Mulan's shirt collar quietly, but now quite enough.

"Who was that?" Shang asked, looking up from the map.

"Ah, no one!" said quickly Mulan, putting a hand behind her neck to shut a little dragon up, an act to anybody who didn't know Mulan's secret, was that of embarrassment.

"Yes, I bet it was a little lizard." Chun snickered behind her hand and Mulan giggled (Mushu just muttered a few things in Chinese that shouldn't be written...).

The men looked at them, very much confused.

"I think it's a private joke between them…" whispered Ling to his friends.

Suddenly a figure came running and stopped to a full halt in front of the four men and two women.

To the light of the fire, they could see it was Chi-Fu, "General! Captains!" he gasped for breath because he ran so fast, must've been important, otherwise he wouldn't have the gang and Mulan in the samesentence as Shang.

"What is it?" Shang asked, standing up and going to Chi-Fu.

"Urgent news!" And Chi-Fu gave a piece of paper to Shang.

Shang quickly read it.

"What is it?" Ling asked.

"One of the scouts, says that a few villages at the Honshu Pass are volurenble for the Hun army to attack them, he asks for reinforcements." Shang answered hading the note between the gang and Mulan.

"What is the strategy, General?" Chien-Po asked.

"Most of the recruits in each Camp have almost finished their training, right?" Shang asked and all four Captains nodded in agreement.

"Wait," Mulan said and smiling turned to Chi Fu, "are my soldiers competent to be in battle, Supervisor?"

He grimaced but said, "Yes."

"That's all I wanted to hear," she turned back to Shang.

"Alright, Here's the plan…" and they had agreed to his plan, because, like Mulan's ideas, they were usually good.

(A/N: next chapter you'll discover his plan…)

"Understood?" Shang finally asked.

"Yes!" all four Captains answered.

And all went back to their Camps to prepare.

--

"Finally some action!" Mushu said as Mulan and Chun headed back.

"Yes, finally I'll be able to use all you've taught me," Chun smiled.

"I'm sure you and the other recruits will be fine, but still be careful." Mulan cautioned.

"I will, good night, Mulan!"

"Good night!"

And Chun went to her tent.

And Mulan went back to hers, to get ready for a battle that may come.

--

**A/N: chapter 11 is done!**

**Mushu:** Finally!


	12. Important auothor's notice!

I have a huge amount of work, so please wait patiently until I can find the time to update.

I apologize for that and hope you'll understand.

Sorry,

Akemi17


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